Robert Ellis was the first principal when Newcomb Elementary School opened it’s doors in 1963. Ellis stayed for three years and recalls it being a state of the art school. Now more than 50 years later Ellis sees the new Newcomb Academy set to open September 2.

The Long Beach resident started off his career in the 1950s at Jordan High School and later became principal for five years at Avalon School, a K-12 school on Catalina Island. Soon after he was offered a position as principal for Newcomb Academy in 1963.

“I was always certain I’d be a newspaper guy, but then I got into teaching my senior year and I was tickled to death when I got asked to be principal – it was a brand new school! It was freshly-painted and all the furniture was brand new.”

Although Ellis didn’t have any prior experience in opening a new school, he felt confident in doing so with his education experience. He said the position allowed him to lead Newcomb his own way.

“We weren’t stuck with any traditions we had to follow; whatever we did became the tradition,” he said. “It became the Newcomb way and we all grew together.”

Staying connected

With a supportive faculty and Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Ellis said he was most proud of the first group of Newcomb students like Daniel Schlesigner.

The two formed a friendship, as Schlesinger would occasionally visit Ellis’ office for coins. Schlesigner, an avid coin collector at the time, said he would dump all his change on Ellis’ desk and ask him to replace old coins for new ones.

Schlesinger and Ellis rekindled their friendship after Schlesinger saw Ellis give a commencement speech at Cal State Long Beach. The two have kept in touch since.

“I still see a few of the kids from time to time and teachers on occasion,” Ellis said. “Looking back over 50 years, I’ve had a very good career and a very big part of it was being principal of Newcomb.”

Before the school was torn down for reconstruction in 2013, Ellis said he visited the campus for one last “hurrah.” In Ellis’ mind, Newcomb was just as new as when he first took over and it didn’t need to be reconstructed.

Ellis recently visited the nearly-complete campus with his wife, Barbara Ellis – and both were in awe of its renovation, calling it “state of the art.”

With Newcomb’s new campus encompassing 150,000-square-feet and a modern landscape, Ellis said it looked more like a college campus than a middle school.

“This school is the focal point of El Dorado Park and I’m just pleased to be a part of Newcomb’s history,” he said.